Beatrice Speedway Hall of Fame Class of 2008 Inducted

From Beatrice Speedway Hall of Fame

First, the Hall of Fame Committee would like to say Thank You to the WFR for
allowing us to take a few moments for our 2008 Hall of Fame inductions.
Thank You for all of your help tonight and during the season.

Second, we would like to thank the Beatrice Speedway, the Fair Board, and
all of the officials. They have provided us with the space under the
grandstand for a display, and have been great to work with on the Hall of
Fame Night and Racer's Reunion events.

Lastly, we'd like to thank everyone who has supported the Hall of Fame
throughout the past several years. Whether it has been through donations,
time, or information, it has all been greatly appreciated and the Hall of
Fame couldn't be done without the support of the entire racing community.

This year, we will induct 2 new members into the Beatrice Speedway Hall of
Fame, representing the Class of 2008. Both inductees have a lot of
similarities.

Both inductees made their names as Drivers not only at Beatrice, but also at
several other area tracks in Nebraska. Both inductees also competed in the
same division at the Beatrice Speedway, representing the Late Model /
Sportsman division. And finally, both individuals competed in the same time
periods in Beatrice. In fact, they competed against each other for a period
of time.

LAVERN ALLEN - LINCOLN, NE

The first inductee always had one of the most easily recognizable cars at
the Beatrice Speedway in the late 70's and early 80's. His signature
stretched firebird body was always a fan favorite, while competing in the
Late Model and Sportsman divisions at Beatrice. His first, of many, wins at
Beatrice came in June of 1979.

He would go on to claim over a dozen A Feature wins and have 4 straight
years of Top 5 Championship finishes, all while competing against some of
the best Late Model/Sportsman series drivers in Nebraska. Competing against
current Hall of Fame inductees, such as Rex Nun, Joe Wade, Stu Vavra, and
Kenny Parde, he was a consistent, top 5 car every night, and a threat to win
as soon as he came through the gate. His win in June of 1982 would stop the
domination of 2 drivers, who had begun to run away with the division.

He was also known as a competitor who was willing to help others, if needed.
Whether it was giving advice to up-and-coming drivers just getting their
start, or someone needing help with setup ideas, he was always willing to
help.

We would like to honor our first inductee to the Beatrice Speedway Hall of
Fame's Class of 2008.

TIM SWANSON - BENNETT, NE

The second, and final member of the Class of 2008, retired from racing in
1996, after competing at the Beatrice Speedway off and on for 21 years. His
first Beatrice Speedway A feature win came on June 14, 1975 in the Late
Model division.

Competing against fellow Hall of Fame members: Rex Nun, Kenny Parde, Mike
Cecak, and Stu Vavra, he would gradually become a threat to win on any given
night. In 1978 he posted back to back wins. He would also claim several of
Beatrice's biggest races over the next several years - The Coors Cup, and
the NAPA challenge. He reached the peak of his Beatrice success in 1985,
winning 5 straight races to end the season, claiming the runner-up position
in the Late Model/Sportsman Championship standings. This would also include
winning the final Late Model/Sportsman division race to ever be held at
Beatrice.

Entering his 3rd decade of racing, he would again return to Beatrice, after
several years away, this time in the Pro-Am division. Multiple wins in each
of the next 3 years would follow. His knack for getting to the front,
contributed to his multiple top 10 Championship rankings as well.